Computer-implemented methods and systems enabling fan participation in calling plays at sporting and other events

ABSTRACT

A computerized method and system of facilitating state-based participation in calling plays in a football game thereby allowing fans to proactively participate in real-time in the game. A computing device receives a user profile corresponding to a user registered to vote in a real-time football game. A sequence of states is initiated in response to start of a play during the real-time football game. The sequence of states includes receiving a set of plays from a coach, sending the set of plays to a user, and receiving a vote from the user. A result of a real-time play based on the winning play is received and the coach is score updated. The computerized method and system is not limited to football, and may also be applied to other live events such as soccer, baseball, golf, hockey, basketball, movie screenings, game shows, award shows, sales meetings, political events, and business conferences.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/152,109,filed May 11, 2016, entitled “Computer-Implemented Methods and SystemsEnabling Fan Participation in Calling Plays at Sporting and OtherEvents,” which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/575,698,filed Dec. 18, 2014, entitled “Computer-Implemented Methods and SystemsEnabling Fan Participation in Calling Plays at Sporting and OtherEvents,” now patented as U.S. Pat. No. 9,751,018, which claims benefitof U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/918,350, filed Dec. 19, 2013,entitled “Computer-Implemented Methods and Systems Enabling FanParticipation in Calling Plays at Sporting and Other Events,” each ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates generally to live events and, moreparticularly, methods and systems for enabling fans or audience membersto participate in calling plays at football games and other events.

While traditional applications of technology for user participation inlive events exist, they are generally passive forms of userparticipation. For example, some traditional entertainment shows allowfans to vote for a winner, but results are not shown until the end of ashow, or days or weeks later. Fans can help decide which entertainer‘wins’, but fans do not decide what activity occurs fromminute-to-minute. Fans have minimal real-time impact on the real-timeaction.

In the context of sporting events, traditional applications allow usersto participate in a fantasy game, where they can choose players andteams, and compete based on statistics corresponding to real time eventsin the sporting events. While real time events can affect a user's scoreor standing in traditional applications, the user has no ability toparticipate or influence real time events.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods are disclosed for facilitating state-basedparticipation in calling plays in a football game thereby allowing fansto proactively participate in real-time in the game with players,referees and coaches. In some aspects, the systems and methods comprisereceiving, by a computing device, a user profile, the user profilecorresponding to a user registered to vote in a real-time football game,the user profile comprising a coach score. In some aspects, the systemsand methods comprise initiating, by the computing device, a sequence ofstates in response to a start of a play during the real-time footballgame. In some aspects, the sequence of states comprise a poll creationstate for a first time period, the poll creation state comprisingreceiving, by the computing device, a submission of a set of plays froma computing device associated with a coach at a time corresponding to atime prior to an execution of a play in the real-time football game; anotification state for a second time period, the notification statecomprising sending, by the computing device, the set of plays to acomputing device associated with a registered user in a format such thatthe sets of plays automatically display upon the registered user device;a fan voting state for a third time period, the fan voting statecomprising receiving, by the computing device, a vote from theregistered user device, the vote corresponding to one play from the setof plays; a notification state for a fourth time period, thenotification state comprising sending, by the computing device, awinning play to the registered user device and the coach device, thewinning play based on results of the vote, such that a sum of the firsttime period, second time period, third time period, and fourth timeperiod is equal to or less than 100 seconds; and a play in action statefor a fifth time period, the play in action state comprising receiving,by the computing device, a result of a real-time play based on thewinning play from a computing device associated with at least one of areferee and an administrator. In some aspects, the systems and methodscomprise updating, by the computing device, the user score by comparingthe vote with the winning play and with the result of the real-timeplay; and outputting, by the computing device, content to the registereduser device related to the coach score.

In some aspects, the sequence of states terminates upon the start of asubsequent state. In some aspects, the submission of the set of playsfurther comprises a coach override, the coach override comprising awinning play selected by the coach. In some aspects, the poll creationstate further comprises creating at least one of: a random set of plays,a set of plays based on prior game statistics, and a set of plays basedon current game statistics, when the submitted set of plays comprises noplays. In some aspects, the content comprises a winning play score, thewinning play score corresponding to a number of times a play selected bythe user, from the set of plays associated with the poll creation state,is the winning play. In some aspects, the content further comprises atleast one of a participation score and a scoring play score, theparticipation score corresponding to a number of plays where the usersubmits a vote, the scoring play score corresponding to a number oftimes a play selected by the user results in a team associated with thevoting scoring a goal or preventing the scoring of a goal. In someaspects, the content comprises at least one of voting information,challenges, and education information, the voting information comprisinga record corresponding to how a user earned the coach score, thechallenges comprising comparing the coach score with coach scorescorresponding to other user profiles, the education informationcomprising at least one of information and an activity to improve thecoach score. In some aspects, the systems and methods comprise sending,by the computing device, state information to the referee device. Insome aspects, the systems and methods comprise receiving, by thecomputing device, a duration of at least one of the first time period,second time period, third time period and fourth time period from thereferee device. In some aspects, the systems and methods compriseoutputting, by the computing device, live game information to at leastone of the user device, the coach device, and the referee device. Insome aspects, the sum of the time periods ranges from 30 seconds to 60seconds. In some aspects, the methods and systems described herein arenot limited to football, and may also be applied to other live eventssuch as, e.g., soccer, baseball, golf, hockey, basketball, moviescreenings, game shows, award shows, sales meetings, political events,and business conferences.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram illustrating an exemplary networkin which a live-game engine or system may be implemented, according tosome embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating system architecture, according tosome embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are flow diagrams illustrating an exemplary play votingcycle, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 5-74 are exemplary screenshots illustrating operation of thelive-game system, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 75 is a simplified diagram illustrating an exemplary game enginefinite state machine, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

When football fans watch a football game, either live or on television,they have no involvement in how the game is played. They know littleabout the plays the coach of their team is picking to execute on thefield, and have no ability to influence the coach's play choices.Various embodiments disclosed herein are directed tocomputer-implemented methods and systems for increasing fan involvementin games by enabling fans to actively participate in calling plays atfootball games.

As will be discussed in greater detail below, in accordance with variousembodiments, a computer-implemented live-game system or engine isprovided that enables fans of a team to collectively decide in real-timewhich plays should be executed by their team during a game. For eachplay, the coaches of the teams pick a set of possible plays, which thefans vote on. The system tabulates the fan votes, and the winning playcan be executed on the field in real-time. The system provides userswith access to a wide variety of information needed to participate inthe system including information on plays, player rosters, teams, statsetc. The system also tracks each fan's coaching performance (e.g., the %of times the fan's play choice was the winning play, the % of times thefan's play succeeded (scored, achieved first down, gained certainyardage), or the % of times the fan's play selection likely would havebeen a better choice given the poor performance of the actual play runon the field, etc.). The system also enables fans to compete against oneanother, individually or in leagues, in their coaching skills.

While the exemplary embodiments illustrated herein relate to the game ofAmerican football, this is by way of example only. It should beunderstood that the methods and systems for increasing fan participationare not limited to football, and may also be applied to other liveevents such as, e.g., soccer, baseball, golf, hockey, basketball, moviescreenings, game shows, award shows, sales meetings, political events,and business conferences.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network, in which a live-game system 100may be implemented, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. The live-game system 100 can be implemented in a computerserver system, which communicates with a plurality of client devicesoperated by the users of the system 100, including fans 102, thecoaches/coordinators 104, 106 of the teams playing the game, referees108, and system administrators 110. Other users of the system caninclude production staff 112 and product marketing/customer servicestaff 114.

The client devices communicate with the system 100 over a communicationsnetwork 116. The communications network 116 can include any network orcombination of networks including, without limitation, the Internet, alocal area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, and acellular network.

The client devices operated by users to access the live-game system 100can include any computing device that can communicate with the computerserver system including, without limitation, personal computers(including desktop, notebook, and tablet computers), smart phones (e.g.,Apple-based smart phones and Android-based smart phones), wearablecomputer devices (e.g., smart watches and smart glasses), cell phones,personal digital assistants, and other mobile devices. The clientdevices include operating systems (e.g., Android, Apple iOS, and WindowsPhone OS, among others) on which applications run. The operating systemsallow programmers to create applications (often called “Apps”) toprovide particular functionality to the devices.

A representative client device can include at least one computerprocessor and a storage medium readable by the processor for storingapplications and data. The client device also can include input/outputdevices, one or more speakers for acoustic output, a microphone foracoustic input, and a display for visual output, e.g., an LCD or LEDdisplay, which may have touch screen input capabilities.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating system architecture, according tosome embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 shows a messagelistener 202, record manager 204, score manager 206, poll manager 208,Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) 210, game manager 212,engagement service 214, coach manager 216, vote manager 218, informationservice 220, referee application 222, moderator devices 224, coachdevices 226, fan devices 228, database 230, and fan connections.

Message listener 202 is active software built into the system. Itprovides asynchronous event handling that defines the initial action tobe taken as each message arrives. Different actions may be defined fordifferent message types.

Record manager 204 includes a database for storing user voting records(e.g., votes during a game). The database can include any physicaldatabase or cloud-based data storage (e.g., Mongo database instance).

Score manager 206 includes a database for storing game statistics (e.g.,wins, losses, play executed during a game). The database can include anyphysical database or cloud-based data storage (e.g., Mongo databaseinstance).

Poll manager 208 controls state logic for polling. As described in moredetail, polling can include a series of discrete states.

AMQP 210 comprises an Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (e.g.,RabbitMQ). AMQP can support a variety of protocols and includes messageorientation, queuing, and routing.

Game manager 212 includes a database for storing real-time events andstatistics during a game. The database can include any physical databaseor cloud-based data storage (e.g., Mongo database instance). Game manger212 can communicate with Ref App 222. As described in more detail below,game manager 212 can send Ref App 222 real-time data corresponding to agame. Ref App 222 can send instructions to Game Manager 212, based onthe real-time data, to update state information (e.g., state informationfor polling) and information for display on one or more coach device 226or fan device 228.

Engagement service 214 represents multiple discreet services thatcoordinate elements of the game experience. These services include auser interface, logic, and storage. One of the services, FanScoreModerator 224, stores the data behind multiple question-and-answer games(e.g., the name of each game, one to one-thousand questions, timinglogic associated with answers for each of the questions, and tips foreach of the questions). A person operating the FanScore Moderator candefine a game, initiate a game, and trigger the delivery of eachquestion (e.g., the first question is sent 10 minutes before kickoff,the second question during the first timeout), and identify therecipients of each question (e.g., all registered fans or fans votingwith only one of the two teams). Another service, CoachScore Moderator224, allows an operator to evaluate the results of plays run on thefield in real time (e.g., declaring an error on a play and assessing thesuccess of the play run on the field). These evaluations are then usedto create each Fan's CoachScore.

Coach manager 216 includes a database for storing coaching records(e.g., information about plays, players, scheduling) and other data thatis used in multiple devices across the system. The database can includeany physical database or cloud-based data storage (e.g., Mongo databaseinstance). Coach manager 216 is in communication with a coachapplication 226. Coach manager 216 can display information in thedatabase to the coach device and receive edits and changes from thecoach device to information in the database.

Vote manager 218 coordinates voter polling. Vote manager 218 maintainsthe logic for communication and controls that communication with fandevices 228 via fan connections 240. Fan Connections 240 declares andmanages the communication channel used with fan devices. Vote manager218, through a fan connection module, can push a poll to fan device 228and receive results from the poll.

Fan device 228 represents the mobile devices used by fans to participatein calling plays. The Info Service 220 includes web services thatexecute key processes (e.g., retrieving fan profile information,updating playbook information in fan apps, etc.). The informationservice refers to a fast, in-memory data store 230 (e.g., Redis).

FIGS. 3 and 4 are flow diagrams illustrating an exemplary play votingcycle, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.Referring to FIG. 4, prior to a game, each of the entities in the systemlogs in once to backend service 420. Backend service is described inmore detail above in FIG. 2. The entities include admin 410, a voter412, offensive coordinator 413, and defensive coordinator 414. Admin, atthe start of the game, can send an instruction to the backend service420 to start the game 411. For each play, the process starts with theadministrator starting a play clock 301. In some embodiments, anadministrator starts each game, starts each play clock, and identifieseach possession switch (e.g., when possession of the ball transfers fromone team to the other). The coaches of each team are given apredetermined amount of time (e.g., 1-60 seconds, preferably 7 seconds)to pick a set of possible plays to be voted on by the fans. Theoffensive coordinator can select a set of plays 302, and a defensivecoordinator can select a set of plays 303. In some embodiments, theoffensive coordinator and defensive coordinator each select 3 plays. Theplays are pushed out via push technology (preferably no manual refreshon the fans app is needed) to fans who have registered with the system.Fans are then able to view the poll 304. Fans are then given a presettime period (e.g., 1 to 60 seconds, preferably 10 seconds) to vote onthe play they want their team to execute 305. The fan votes are sent toa system database and tabulated. The winning results are sent to thecoaches 306. The results can also be sent to the fans at the same time,again preferably via push technology 308. Coaches then radio orotherwise communicate the winning play to the personnel on the field,and the fans and coaches get to see the winning play executed on thefield in real-time. The process described above can then start again fora subsequent play.

The system provides users with access to a wide variety of informationneeded to participate in the system including information on plays,player rosters, teams, stats etc.

Fans

In one or more embodiments, fans can download a Fan App on their clientdevices to access the system. FIG. 5 shows an exemplary screenshot fromthe Fan App enabling users to register and login 503 to the system,according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. A user canaccess a unique URL 501 and sign in using his/her username and passwordby clicking a “sign in” button 502. During the registration process, auser will enter his or her name and choose a user name and password thatwill identify the user whenever using the system. Users can also enterin secure information, including a credit card and billing addressinformation if they are going to sign up for a premium or paid product.Users can click on a “get in the action” button 504 to be directed to ateam page where they will also be asked to choose which team they are afan of 505, or they can go in and look at team information before theydecide. They can click a button 506 to decide on a team once they reviewteam information.

Fans who are registered and logged in can enter a Fan App Dashboard asillustrated in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 6. The dashboardprovides fans with access to a variety of content items (illustrated inFIGS. 7-14) they can use to participate in the live-game system. Forexample, Fan App Dashboard can include a header 601, which displaysdetails about a coming game before the start of a game. As described inmore detail below, Fan App Dashboard can also include rattlers den 602,team banter 603, playbook 604, injury report 605, weekly recap 606,player roster 607, my stats 608, and my achievements 609.

Fans can access team information 700, including coach and player videosand talk sessions as illustrated in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 7.Also known as rattlers den, a repository of player videos and talksessions can be branded for each team. Fans can be asked to choose andconfirm a team selection 800, as illustrated in the exemplary screenshotof FIG. 8. In some embodiments, a fan has up until game time to changewhich team they vote for in any given game. Fans can also access a teampage, as illustrated in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 9. The teampage can display various details about a team, including coach videos,player videos and talk sessions 900. Fans can also access a teammatch-up page, as illustrated in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 10. Tohelp fans determine which team to vote with, the team matchup page caninclude a comparison of game statistics for both teams, such as runningand passing 1000. The team match-up page can also display votingstatistics and averages. Fans can also access a team list, asillustrated in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 11. In some embodiments,the team page lists all teams, their conference, rank, record, coach andnext game 1101. Fans can access chat discussions 1202 and Twitter (orproprietary chat-based service) feeds 1203 as illustrated in theexemplary screenshot of FIG. 12. Also known as team banter, discussionand twitter feeds can be displayed alongside an icon of a fan displayedwith their achievement level 1201. FIG. 13 is an exemplary screenshotillustrating fan access to injury reports 1301. FIG. 14 is an exemplaryscreenshot illustrating fan access to information 1401 on each player onthe team roster.

Along with this content, the system also offers fans functionalities totrack their performance—My Stats 1501 shown in the exemplary screenshotof FIG. 15 and My Achievements 1601 shown in the exemplary screenshot ofFIG. 16. My Stats 1501 details the Fan Coach Scores. The Coaching gamelogic engine of the live-game system scores the fan's Coaching or playcalling performance. Participation 1502 indicates the % of plays thathave been voted on by the fan. Winning plays 1503 indicates the % oftimes the fan's play choice was the winning play and run by the team.Scoring plays 1504 indicates the % of times a fan's play scored. MyAchievements 1601 can indicate achievement levels earned by each fan.Achievements can include Grid-Iron Ruler 1602 (e.g., voting on a certainnumber of plays), Primetime Picker 1603 (e.g., picking a certain numberof plays that have been executed), Captain Endzone 1604 (e.g., picking acertain number of plays that score), and Move the Chains 1605 (e.g.,having a certain percentage of 3^(rd) down conversion).

In some embodiments, Coach Score can be displayed on a user device, asshown in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 17. The main page can includea fan Coach Score season average 1701, a voting section 1702, resultsfor each week 1704, and results for each game 1705. In some embodiments,voting section 1702 includes a breakdown of how a fan earns a CoachScore. The breakdown can include details of Coaching game logic engine,described in more detail below. The Coach Score page can also include achallenges section, as shown in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 18.Challenges can allow fans to see their performance within head to headchallenges 1800, as described in more detail below. The Coach Score pagecan also include an education section, as shown in the exemplaryscreenshot of FIG. 19. The education section can include articles andactivities to allow fans to learn more about play calling 1900. In someembodiments, articles and activities that are displayed in the educationsection are selected based on a fan's Coach Score.

FIG. 20 shows screenshot of a Fan Score page, according to someembodiments of the present disclosure. A Fan Score page can show pointsfans earn by participating in events hosted by the system 2000. A FanScore page can include an Achievements Section, showing fans how theyhave earned points 2002.

A FanScore page can also include an Events section, as shown in theexemplary screenshot of FIG. 21. An Events section can include links toactivities where fans can earn additional points 2100. Activities caninclude fan contests, finding a fan voting party, subscribing to fanalerts, and tuning into coach picks. Activities can also includeanswering trivia or other questions, as shown in the exemplaryscreenshot of FIG. 22. Trivia allows fans to participate in real-timetrivia and related contests 2200. In some embodiments, each question hasa time limit 2202, and a fan can choose one of three answers 2203. A fancan gather points that contribute to FanScore points 2204. A fan isdelivered a Trivia Answer page after answering a trivia question, asshown in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 23. A fan can be shown acorrect answer, their answer, and an explanation of the correct answer2300. FIG. 24 shows a screenshot of a rewards page, in accordance withcertain embodiments. Fan Points can be accumulated and redeemed for realmerchandise and digital goods 2400.

Fans may participate in Challenges, as shown in the exemplary screenshotof FIG. 25. Fans can initiate challenges 2501 and define a type ofchallenge 2502. Challenges may be decided by CoachScore, a measure ofeffective play-calling. Challenges may also be decided by FanScoreearned by answering trivia or other questions 2200. Challenges caninvolve individual players or player-defined leagues. The duration of achallenge can last any amount of time (e.g., single game, weekend, orseason). A Challenges Page, as shown in the exemplary screenshot of FIG.26, can also include real time requests for challenges 2600. Fans canchoose either to accept or reject a real time challenge 2601.

Fans can also access real-time results on the system, as shown in theexemplary screenshot of FIG. 27. Real time results include allowing fansto see in real-time how they are performing in their CoachScore andFanScore challenges as well as any pending invites 2700. Real timeresults can also include rankings, as shown in the exemplary screenshotof FIG. 28. Fans can see in real-time where they are ranked for bothCoachScore and FanScore 2800.

FIG. 29 is a screenshot illustrating a coach score engine, according tosome embodiments of the present disclosure. Coaching game logic engine(also referred to in the present disclosure as “CoachScore Engine”) candetermine each player's CoachScore. In some embodiments, coach scoreranges from 50-100. Unlike traditional “fantasy” points, Coach Score isnot merely additive. Each player's Coach Score can be calculated aftereach drive and can naturally vary through the course of each game.CoachScore Engine first receives a coach bundle, which can include 3plays. CoachScore Engine assigns a historical “Adjusted Yardage” 2900based on data from prior games. The historical Adjusted Yardage 2900 canbe calculated automatically from the data from prior games, as describedin more detail below. The play run on the field is then scored on theyards gained on the field, augmented by positive modifiers for goodresults (e.g., earning a first down or scoring) or negative modifiers(e.g., resulting in a sack of the quarterback or lost yards) 2901. Thethree plays' Adjusted Yardage scores (two historical, one actual) arethen ranked, highest to lowest, 1^(st), 2^(nd), and 3^(rd). Each play isthen assigned points 2902 based on its ranking. The points arecontinuously summed and adjusted for tempo 2903. Tempo adjustments 2903allow scoring to be consistent, whether the game is partially completeor complete and whether a team runs a fewer number or a greater numberof plays (e.g., 65 plays or 85).

FIG. 30 is a screenshot illustrating a coach score engine moderator,according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The moderatorapplication can rate the play actually run on the field versus thehistorical expectations of the other two non-winning plays. The coachscore moderator application can rank (e.g., good, neutral, bad or1^(st), 2^(nd), 3^(rd)) the play result seen on the field relative tothe historical expectations of the two plays not selected, and submitany additional factors, especially errors (dropped pass, fumble, etc.),that impact the assessment of the play 3002. The application can displaywhich plays are suggested by a coach and which play was run on a field3000 3001. The ranking can come from a human operator or can bedetermined by a computing device.

FIG. 31 is a screenshot illustrating the calculation of historicalAdjusted Yardage within a coach score engine, according to someembodiments of the present disclosure. Each play can have a storedadjusted yardage value calculated from historical data and the adjustedyardage algorithm. In both pre-time and real-time, the system cancalculate historical Adjusted Yardage from historical results 3100. Thiscalculation starts by identifying all plays previously run, noting theirresults (e.g. yardage gained, 1^(st) downs gained, scoring, game, play#, etc.), annotating each play with additional scenario identifiers(e.g., team, defense faced, game #, field position, time, down,distance, play type, in-game play #, etc.), grouping these play-scenariocombinations, calculating typical yardage gained for each play-scenariocombination 3100, and, finally, enhancing typical yardage with1^(st)-down and scoring trending 3101 to produce a historical AdjustedYardage number for each play in each scenario. The adjusted yardagecalculation weighs results from the current game, current teams, andmore recent games more heavily than results from less current and lesspertinent teams.

The Playbook section of the Fan App is indicated by way of example inthe screenshot of FIG. 32. The playbook details the plays for the fan'steam 3200. The fan can sort by Play Type Formation 3201. Each playincludes a Detailed diagram, Simple Name, Coach Name, etc. 3202. ThePlaybook section can also include Playbook Detail, as shown in theexemplary screenshot of FIG. 33. Every play in a team's playbook can beclicked on to offer more detail, past performance, and video toillustrate the play and its performance history 3300.

The content items discussed above are live and active content during anactual game. When a game starts, the Fan App automatically changes to agamecasting/push app determined by a League Official as shown in theexemplary screenshots of FIGS. 34 and 35. During the game, the Fan Appautomatically displays game information 3400 3500 such as the teamsplaying, which quarter, the time/game clock, the score, which team haspossession, and down and distance.

Once a game is in progress and a fan is logged in correctly, the systemautomatically pushes a vote to the app as shown in the exemplaryscreenshots of FIGS. 36 and 37. Fans can see a push of the vote ofcoaches play choices visually through the voting screen, manuallythrough a buzz, and/or aurally through a tone 3600 3700. The screendisplays down, distance, field position, and game time in real time3601. The screen can also display play choices as graphical renditionsof the plays as well as text 3701. Visually through graphical renditionsof plays, fans can see the three coach choices 3602. Fans can alsochoose to Skip Vote 3603 by clicking an “x” button 3702 or clicking a“close” button 3703, if desired.

Once fans receive a poll from the system as illustrated in the exemplaryscreenshots of FIGS. 38 and 39, they can vote with a single touch of theplay of their choice 3800 3900. In one embodiment, their chosen play ismarked 3801 and automatically sent to be tabulated to the back-endservice of the system. In another embodiment, fans can choose to changetheir vote by clicking a “change vote” button 3901. Fans then watch thewinning play executed on the field. As shown in the exemplaryscreenshots of FIGS. 40 and 41, the Fan App shows fans when their playhas been selected to be run on the field 4100 and what % of fans votedfor each play 4000 4101. As shown in the exemplary screenshot of FIG.42, the Fan App can also show fans when their play has not been selectedto be run on the field 4200. When a fan's play is not selected, they arealso shown the winning play 4201.

In addition to the live football game, fans can compete against otherfans and other groups of fans on their coaching expertise. Fans canchoose and structure the ways in which they want to compete 4300 asshown in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 43. Game dimensions caninclude, e.g., Single game vs. season, Player vs. player, Intra andExtra-team leagues, Player-defined leagues, and League vs. league. Fanscan compete using their Coaching Score in additional to theirAchievements as shown in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 44. A coachscore is derived from the actual and typical results of the plays votedon by fans 4400. Scores are normalized to adjust for differences in teamstyles and results.

Coaches/Coordinators

The system allows coaches/coordinators to enter plays or formations tofacilitate player coaching, game planning, and play selection. As shownin the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 45, coaches/coordinators can entermultiple name types 4501 and a description 4502 for new plays andformations. Coaches/coordinators can apply standard tags to each play4503 including, e.g., “opening script”, “short yardage”, “mediumyardage”, “long yardage”, “pass”, “run”, “game 1”, “game 2”.Coaches/coordinators can define new tags 4504 and can attach images toeach play 4505.

As shown in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 46, coaches/coordinatorscan manage playbooks. They can search for plays by multiple categories4601 and edit play names, tags, formations, etc. 4602.

Coaches/coordinators can build scripts of plays that can be used forgame planning, coaching, and easy selection as shown in the exemplaryscreenshot of FIG. 47. Coaches/coordinators can select and/or createscript names/tags 4701. They can create poll names 4702 and assign playsto poll names 4703.

As shown in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 48, coaches/coordinatorscan organize and present plays in various fashions 4801, view plays onscreen 4802, and print plays for game day 4803.

As shown in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 49, production team memberscan manage plays for presentation to fans. They can enter multiple nametypes for plays 4901 and a fan playbook description 4902, and attach asimple play diagram 4903.

Coaches/coordinators can pick plays to be voted on by fans as shown inthe exemplary screenshot of FIG. 50. Coaches/coordinators can access thescreen from a unique URL of the coach application 5000.Coaches/coordinators log in, click on 3 plays 5001, and click on aCommit Plays button 5002 to confirm the choice. If no plays arecommitted, the system automatically assigns 3 plays after a given periodof time (e.g., 7 seconds). The Coach receives the play that won thehighest percentage of votes 5100 as shown in the exemplary screenshot ofFIG. 51.

FIG. 52 shows a screenshot of a coach application, according to someembodiments of the present disclosure. Coach application can communicategame status 5200. Game status can include a game quarter, a score,location of the ball, team with possession, and down information. Coachapplication also allows a coach to choose plays sent to fans 5202. Playssent to fans can include either pre-defined bundles of plays (e.g., inbundles of three) or individually-selected plays 5204. Coach applicationcan include a visual depiction of selected plays to the coach 5205.Coach application can also allow the coach to override and select asingular play for a number of times a game 5206.

As shown in FIG. 53, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a coachcan also elect to override the vote and select the play himself orherself. Coaches can be allowed a certain number of overrides per half(e.g., 4), and users can be notified immediately with a pushnotification on their device.

Coach Management System

According to some embodiments, a Coach Management System allows coachesto select their plays during games and coordinate other aspects ofplanning and executing plays during a game. An interface allows coachesto pick a set of plays offered to fans during each play, to see thewinning play selected by fans, and to call “overrides” when they have toget their play run.

In some embodiments, the Coach Management System allows football coachesto manage everything about a football team, as described in more detailbelow. Briefly, a roster module can store the names, profiles, and videoof all players. Scouting can keep the profiles and assessments of allpotential draftees and opposing players. Medical Manager can track allinjuries, readying them for the injury report. Playbook can give coachesa place to create any play they want, to organize each play by anyattribute, and to create installs, scripts, and game plans for anysituation. Calendar can allow assistant coaches to structure dailycoaching plans that roll up into weekly and seasonal plans managed byhead coaches. Analytics can allow coaches to understand the performanceof all plays by situation, package and player.

FIG. 54 is a screenshot illustrating a coaching management systemoverview, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. TheCoaching Management System can enable efficient, data- and system-drivenmanagement of most aspects of a football team, including: Personnelmanagement, Playbook management, Game plan management, Player education,Scouting and Injuries 5400. For personnel management, the system willcapture past and current of player(s), plays the player partakes in andthe performance of that player in given situations—home, away, etc. ForPlaybook management, the system will capture all aspects of the playbookfrom individual plays, video links of the play, players associated withthe play etc. For Game Plan Management, the system will allow thecoaching staff to detail out all aspects of the upcoming opponent andplan out the game by quarter, by player personnel, by situations likedown and distance etc. For Scouting and Injuries, the system would likewith scouting reports, interface with video footage of scouting sessionsand offer real-time insights on injuries directly from the training andstrength and conditioning staff.

FIG. 55 is a screenshot illustrating a play section within a coachingmanagement system playbook, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. From the play section, a coach can store plays 5500, filterplays by situation (e.g., down, distance, zone, game time, etc.) 5501,filter plays by package 5502 (an indicator of the number of runningbacks, tight ends, and receivers on the field), filter plays by type(e.g., run, pass, play action, special teams, etc.) 5503, and add plays5504. Adding a new play involves entering a play name, illustrating theaction of the play, and attaching the appropriate filters to the play.

FIG. 56 is a screenshot illustrating a bundles section within a coachingmanagement system playbook, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In the bundles section, plays can be organized into bundlesof multiple plays (e.g., three plays) that can be selected by a coach5601. Each bundle represents a reasonable set of plays for a given gamescenario—a set that makes sense for the coach and the fan. Organizingplays into bundles makes it easier to present multiple plays to votingfans. The bundles are entered into the system 5602 at the direction ofthe coach orchestrating the game plan and typically calling the plays. Acoach may assign a bundle number such as “R12” 5603 so that it is easierto call plays during a live game.

FIG. 57 is a screenshot illustrating an installs section within acoaching management system playbook, according to some embodiments ofthe present disclosure. In the installs section, plays can be organizedinto groups of installs. In some embodiments, installs include playsthat teams will learn in an upcoming period of time 5701. Installs canbe sorted by date 5702 and new installs can be added 5703.

FIG. 58 is a screenshot illustrating a player roster section in acoaching management system, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In the roster section, players on the roster can be stored5800, sorted and searched by various attributes 5801. For example, amember of the coaching staff could sort/filter the players by offense,defense or special teams. Players can be assigned to groups 5802, whichindicate the position they play. They can also be assigned to packages5803, which indicate the number of running backs, tight ends, receiversand other personnel on the field, sometimes called the personnelgrouping. Players can be viewed by groups 5900, as shown in theexemplary screenshot of FIG. 59, and by packages 6000, as shown inexemplary screenshot of FIG. 60.

FIG. 61 is a screenshot illustrating a personnel view in a coachingmanagement system, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Personnel view includes access to detailed personnelinformation, such as participation in formations and play statistics6100.

FIG. 62 is a screenshot illustrating a game plan section in a coachingmanagement system, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In the game plan section, game plans for an upcoming weekendcan be created 6200. Plays can also be selected for a game sheet 6201,pages can be added to a game board 6202, plays can be dragged in or outof a game plan 6203, columns of plays can be cleared 6204, and gameplans can be saved 6205. A game plan 6200 is embodied within a gameboard. A game board is made up of one or more game sheets. A game sheetis made up of multiple scripts 6300, described below, and playsorganized by situation.

FIG. 63 is a screenshot illustrating script creation in a coachingmanagement system, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In some embodiments, a script includes a series of plays runin sequence during specific scenarios: start of game, start of secondhalf, goal line within the five yard line, etc. Plays can be added to ascript from other scripts and playlists 6302. Scripts can be created6300 and assigned to a practice day 6300. Scripts can also be assignedto be practiced for specific game and opponents 6400, as shown in theexemplary screenshot of FIG. 64.

FIG. 65 is a screenshot illustrating a game plan play sheet section in acoaching management system, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. A play sheet 6500 can be generated that allows quickselection of bundles and plays during a game. For example, a member ofthe coaching staff can see all of the bundles (sets of plays) for thesituation 3^(rd) and long. This allows the coaching staff to quicklychoose the plays to push out to fans based on the situation on thefield.

FIG. 66 is a screenshot illustrating a calendar section in a coachingmanagement system, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. A schedule can be created to install a game plan for aspecific game 6600. Game plans can be organized by category 6601,assigned to time slots in a calendar 6602, and organized for viewing byday or week 6603. A schedule can also include a scroll feature to viewearlier and later events 6604. Events for the day can also appear inlist format to identify points of emphasis for the day 6605. Points ofemphasis could mean players on the injury report who won't be reportingto practice, for example. Events can also be viewed by week, as shown inthe exemplary screenshot of FIG. 67. A team schedule can be viewed byweek 6701 and events can be organized by time slot and emphasis 6702. Ateam schedule can also be viewed by day 6800, as shown in the exemplaryscreenshot of FIG. 68.

FIG. 69 is a screenshot illustrating scouting reports in a coachingmanagement system, according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Scouting reports can be viewed and sorted by date 6900.Scouting reports can also be created 6901.

FIG. 70 is a screenshot illustrating analytics in a coaching managementsystem, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Avariety of analytics reports can be delivered by team, game, opponent,offense, and defense 7000.

Referees/Admin

As shown in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 71, the administrator(admin) can manage a game by accessing the system through a unique URLand login 7101. The admin can enter down, distance, score, quarter, time(and save changes) during a game 7102. The admin can start the next setof plays once the referee (on the field) has placed the ball 7103. Atthis point, the coaches will receive a notification on their app thatthey have a set amount of time (e.g., 7 seconds) to input the next setof plays. The admin can also indicate a change in possession as needed,at which time a push notification will be sent out to all users thatoffense and defense has switched.

FIG. 72 shows a screenshot of a referee application, according to someembodiments of the present disclosure. A referee application indicates astatus of the system. A status of the system is described in more detailbelow. Briefly, a status of the system can include ready for next play,coaches selecting plays, etc. 7200. A referee application can include alink to initiate a play 7201, to release a winning play (e.g., resultsof a play) to the fans 7202, and to switch possession of the ball toindicate which team is on offense and defense 7203. There can alsoinclude an input to select coach selection time and fan voting time.Coach selection time and fan voting time can define the length of statesduring a poll, as described in more detail below.

Game Day/Non-Game Day Production Personnel

Production personnel can access the system as shown in the exemplaryscreenshot of FIG. 73. Production personnel can view participationstatistics in real time of concurrent users on the system 7300, sendnotifications if they are not participating 7301, troubleshoot fortechnical issues 7302, and alert Marketing/Customer service to flag forretention and participating strategies like rewards, etc. 7303.

Team Product Marketing/Customer Service

As shown in the exemplary screenshot of FIG. 74, the system allowsproduct marketing/customers service to view participation statistics inreal time as well as analyzing data during non-games 7401. They can usedata to custom tailor “MyStat” 7402 and MyAchievements” to various fans.They can also tap the fan analytic database to reach out to inactivefans and try to re-engage them and other marketing/service details 7403.

Game Engine: Finite State Machine

FIG. 75 illustrates an exemplary finite state machine, according to someembodiments of the present disclosure. The Game Engine is a system fororganizing and running an official football game. This includesorchestrating exchanges between the fans, coaches, and referees via acentral software solution.

The system is modeled as a finite state machine. This means the systemis in exactly one state at any given time. As different actions occur(referee pushing a button, timer completed, etc.) the system moves ontoother states. These states define what is possible and occurring at anygiven moment. The finite machine can be executed by a computing device.

(1) Pregame 7501

When a new game is created and scheduled, its first state is the“pregame” state. The system has been configured with two teams, but thegame hasn't actually started yet. In this state users will be able tointeract with the game in different ways from when the game is running.This might include interactions/planning with their team coach.

The only action from here that will change the state of the game ishaving the appropriate official input the command to start the game (viathe Admin Application). This will transition the game to the state“coach creating polls”.

All states except “pregame” and “game over” are considered to mean thegame is currently “active”.

(2) Coach Creating Polls 7502

This state means the coaches are currently selecting plays for inclusionin polls that will be sent out to and voted on by fans. Coaches may alsosubmit a “coach override” during this time. In this state, the systemaccepts play choice options for a poll from the Coach Application. Atimer is started which can automatically transition to the “notifyingfans of polls” state. The timer can range between 1 second and 60seconds. In some embodiments, the timer is set for seven seconds.

(3) Notifying Fans of Polls 7503

This state means the system is currently working to send both polls (onefor each team) to their fans. In this state, coaches are no longer ableto submit play choice options for a poll. A timer is started that willautomatically transition to the “fan voting” state. The timer can rangebetween 1 second and 60 seconds. In some embodiments, the timer is setfor two seconds. The system verifies that each coach was able to createa poll. If a coach didn't create their poll, the system can create apoll for them and populate it with three random play options. Once bothpolls are ready they are transmitted to all fans.

(4) Fan Voting 7504

This state means the system is accepting votes from all fans. In thisstate, the poll sent to the fan in the previous state is made visiblenow. Vote submissions are now accepted by the system. A timer is startedwhich automatically transitions the game to the “notify everyone ofresults” state. The timer can range between 1 second and 60 seconds. Insome embodiments, the timer is set for ten seconds.

(5) Notifying Users of Results 7505

This state means the system is sending out vote results to all fans andcoaches. In this state, votes are no longer accepted by the system. Pollvoting results are tabulated and a winning play or a tie is determinedfor each poll. A summary of each poll results are broadcast to all fansand coaches. A record of the vote summaries is stored for future use. Atimer is started which automatically transitions the game to the “playin action” state. The timer can range between 1 second and 60 seconds.In some embodiments, the timer is set for two seconds.

(6) Play in Action 7506

This state means that the winning plays are now being executed on thefield by the actual football players. The system is waiting for inputvia the Admin Application about the final result of the play. Dependingon the results, the game can transition into two different states:

-   -   1. If the system determines the game is over then the game        transitions into the state “game over”.    -   2. If the game is not technically over, then the system waits        for a command from an official to start the next entire polling        process. This is done by transitioning the game into the “coach        creating polls” state again.

(7) Game Over 7507

In this state the game is now over and is no longer capable of goingback to any of the other states.

In some embodiments, the total execution time for the first four statesis under 100 seconds. In some embodiments, the total execution time isin between 30 and 60 seconds.

The processes of the live-game system described above may be implementedin software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. Theprocesses are preferably implemented in one or more computer programsexecuting on a programmable computer (which can be part of the computerserver system) including a processor, a storage medium readable by theprocessor (including, e.g., volatile and non-volatile memory and/orstorage elements), and input and output devices. Each computer programcan be a set of instructions (program code) in a code module resident inthe random access memory of the computer. Until required by thecomputer, the set of instructions may be stored in another computermemory (e.g., in a hard disk drive, or in a removable memory such as anoptical disk, external hard drive, memory card, or flash drive) orstored on another computer system and downloaded via the Internet orother network.

Having thus described several illustrative embodiments, it is to beappreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvementswill readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations,modifications, and improvements are intended to form a part of thisdisclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of thisdisclosure. While some examples presented herein involve specificcombinations of functions or structural elements, it should beunderstood that those functions and elements may be combined in otherways according to the present disclosure to accomplish the same ordifferent objectives. In particular, acts, elements, and featuresdiscussed in connection with one embodiment are not intended to beexcluded from similar or other roles in other embodiments.

Additionally, elements and components described herein may be furtherdivided into additional components or joined together to form fewercomponents for performing the same functions. For example, the computerserver system may comprise one or more physical machines, or virtualmachines running on one or more physical machines. In addition, thecomputer server system may comprise a cluster of computers or numerousdistributed computers that are connected by the Internet or anothernetwork.

Accordingly, the foregoing description and attached drawings are by wayof example only, and are not intended to be limiting.

Those of skill in the art would appreciate that the variousillustrations in the specification and drawings described herein can beimplemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinationsof both. To illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software,various illustrative blocks, modules, elements, components, methods, andalgorithms have been described above generally in terms of theirfunctionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware,software, or a combination depends upon the particular application anddesign constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans canimplement the described functionality in varying ways for eachparticular application. Various components and blocks can be arrangeddifferently (for example, arranged in a different order, or partitionedin a different way) all without departing from the scope of the subjecttechnology.

Furthermore, an implementation of the communication protocol can berealized in a centralized fashion in one computer system, or in adistributed fashion where different elements are spread across severalinterconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system, or otherapparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein, issuited to perform the functions described herein.

A typical combination of hardware and software could be a generalpurpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loadedand executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out themethods described herein. The methods for the communications protocolcan also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises allthe features enabling the implementation of the methods describedherein, and which, when loaded in a computer system is able to carry outthese methods.

Computer program or application in the present context means anyexpression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructionsintended to cause a system having an information processing capabilityto perform a particular function either directly or after either or bothof the following: a) conversion to another language, code or notation;b) reproduction in a different material form. Significantly, thiscommunication protocol can be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, andaccordingly, reference should be had to the following claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of theinvention.

The communications protocol has been described in detail with specificreference to these illustrated embodiments. It will be apparent,however, that various modifications and changes can be made within thespirit and scope of the disclosure as described in the foregoingspecification, and such modifications and changes are to be consideredequivalents and part of this disclosure.

1. A computerized method of facilitating state-based participation in alive event thereby allowing fans to proactively participate in real-timein the event, the method comprising: initiating, by a computing device,a sequence of states in response to a start of an activity during areal-time event, the sequence of states comprising: a poll creationstate for a first time period, the poll creation state comprisingreceiving, by the computing device, a set of options associated with theactivity from a coordinator computing device at a time corresponding toa time prior to an execution of the activity in the real-time event; anotification state for a second time period, the notification statecomprising sending, by the computing device, the set of options to aregistered user computing device in a format such that the sets ofoptions automatically displays on the registered user computing device;a fan voting state for a third time period, the fan voting statecomprising receiving, by the computing device, a voted option from theregistered user computing device, the voted option corresponding to oneoption from the set of options; a notification state for a fourth timeperiod, the notification state comprising sending, by the computingdevice, a winning option to the registered user computing device and thecoordinator computing device, the winning option based on a result ofthe fan voting state; and an activity in action state for a fifth timeperiod, the activity in action state comprising receiving, by thecomputing device, a result of a real-time activity based on the winningoption from an administrator computing device; when the voted option isthe winning option, assigning, by the computing device, points to thevoted option based on: the voted option corresponding to the winningoption, and a real-time score associated with the result of thereal-time activity; when the voted option is not the winning option,assigning, by the computing device, points to the voted option when thevoted option is a more successful option than the winning option.
 2. Thecomputerized method of claim 1, wherein each of the sequence of statesterminates upon the start of a subsequent state.
 3. The computerizedmethod of claim 1, wherein the set of options further comprises anoption override, the option override comprising a winning optionreceived from the coordinator computing device.
 4. The computerizedmethod of claim 1, wherein the poll creation state further comprisescreating at least one of: a random set of options, a set of optionsbased on prior activity statistics, and a set of options based oncurrent activity statistics, when the set of options comprises nooptions.
 5. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:receiving, by the computing device, a user profile, the user profilecorresponding to a user registered to vote in the real-time event, theuser profile comprising a user vote performance score; updating, by thecomputing device, the user vote performance score by comparing the votewith the winning option and with the result of the real-time activity;and outputting, by the computing device, content to the registered usercomputing device related to the user vote performance score.
 6. Thecomputerized method of claim 5, wherein the content comprises a winningoption score, the winning option score corresponding to a number oftimes an option selected by the user, from the set of options associatedwith the poll creation state, is the winning option.
 7. The computerizedmethod of claim 5, wherein the content comprises at least one of votinginformation, challenges, and education information, the votinginformation comprising a record corresponding to how a user earned theuser vote performance score, the challenges comprising comparing thecoach user vote performance score with user vote performance scorescorresponding to other user profiles, the education informationcomprising at least one of information and an activity to improve theuser vote performance score.
 8. The computerized method of claim 1,further comprising receiving, by the computing device, a duration of atleast one of the first time period, second time period, third timeperiod and fourth time period from the administrator computing device.9. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the sum of the timeperiods ranges from 30 seconds to 60 seconds.
 10. The computerizedmethod of claim 1, wherein the real-time event comprises at least one ofa sporting event, a movie screening, a game show, an award show, a salesmeeting, a political event, and a business conference.
 11. A computingdevice for facilitating state-based participation in a live eventthereby allowing fans to proactively participate in real-time in theevent, the computing device comprising memory containing instructionsfor execution by a processor, the processor configured to: initiate asequence of states in response to a start of an activity during areal-time event, the sequence of states comprising: a poll creationstate for a first time period, the poll creation state comprisingreceiving, by the computing device, a set of options associated with theactivity from a coordinator computing device at a time corresponding toa time prior to an execution of the activity in the real-time event; anotification state for a second time period, the notification statecomprising sending, by the computing device, the set of options to aregistered user computing device in a format such that the sets ofoptions automatically displays on the registered user computing device;a fan voting state for a third time period, the fan voting statecomprising receiving, by the computing device, a voted option from theregistered user computing device, the voted option corresponding to oneoption from the set of options; a notification state for a fourth timeperiod, the notification state comprising sending, by the computingdevice, a winning option to the registered user computing device and thecoordinator computing device, the winning option based on a result ofthe fan voting state; and an activity in action state for a fifth timeperiod, the activity in action state comprising receiving, by thecomputing device, a result of a real-time activity based on the winningoption from an administrator computing device; when the voted option isthe winning option, assigning, by the computing device, points to thevoted option based on: the voted option corresponding to the winningoption, and a real-time score associated with the result of thereal-time activity; when the voted option is not the winning option,assigning, by the computing device, points to the voted option when thevoted option is a more successful option than the winning option. 12.The computing device of claim 11, wherein each of the sequence of statesterminates upon the start of a subsequent state.
 13. The computingdevice of claim 11, wherein the set of options further comprises anoption override, the option override comprising a winning optionreceived from the coordinator computing device.
 14. The computing deviceof claim 11, wherein the poll creation state further comprises creatingat least one of: a random set of options, a set of options based onprior activity statistics, and a set of options based on currentactivity statistics, when the set of options comprises no options. 15.The computing device of claim 11, wherein the processor is furthercaused to: receive a user profile, the user profile corresponding to auser registered to vote in the real-time event, the user profilecomprising a user vote performance score; update the user voteperformance score by comparing the vote with the winning option and withthe result of the real-time activity; and output content to theregistered user computing device related to the user vote performancescore.
 16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the contentcomprises a winning option score, the winning option score correspondingto a number of times an option selected by the user, from the set ofoptions associated with the poll creation state, is the winning option.17. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the content comprises atleast one of voting information, challenges, and education information,the voting information comprising a record corresponding to how a userearned the user vote performance score, the challenges comprisingcomparing the coach user vote performance score with user voteperformance scores corresponding to other user profiles, the educationinformation comprising at least one of information and an activity toimprove the user vote performance score.
 18. The computing device ofclaim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to receive aduration of at least one of the first time period, second time period,third time period and fourth time period from the administratorcomputing device.
 19. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the sumof the time periods ranges from 30 seconds to 60 seconds.
 20. Thecomputing device of claim 11, wherein the real-time event comprises atleast one of a sporting event, a movie screening, a game show, an awardshow, a sales meeting, a political event, and a business conference.